TV Hosts Peer into Future of Glass in New Videos

TV Hosts Peer into Future of Glass in New Videos

Two popular television hosts use a sledgehammer, a power saw, and some explosive visual effects to demonstrate amazing glass properties in a set of short, entertaining videos now live on Corning’s YouTube channel.

Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage — known for taking complex scientific concepts and explaining them in lively, understandable ways – introduce viewers to The Glass Age with a brief look at the complex history of glass. And, Savage notes, “as a material, it has properties and characteristics we are only just beginning to understand.”

The first videocontinues with the pair showing the flexibility of optical fiber and describing the vast capability of glass fiber for transporting data. They look at flexibility of fiber and Corning Willow Glass – as flexible as paper – and test other pieces of glass for characteristics not typically found in glass.

“I like this new Glass Age we’re in,” quips the mustachioed Hyneman.

In the second video, the droll duo try out the toughness of Corning® Gorilla® Glass. They also take a look at one of the most basic, powerful examples of compressive strength in glass: the Prince Rupert’s drop.

The phenomenon, first reported in the 1600s in Europe, happens when a hot drop of molten glass drops into cold water. The rapid cooling of the surface creates a thin outer layer that presses into the still-hot core. The resulting tension creates remarkable strength in the delicate-looking glass bulb. A heavy hammer won’t break it – but snipping off the threadlike tail releases the tension of the entire drop, which shatters spectacularly.

How does this relate to advanced materials in the Glass Age? The hosts describe how thin, very tough glass can improve the performance of automotive windshields, even when a stone hits the glass at high speed.

The videos – each about 10 minutes long – bring together both the unexpected properties and future applications of today’s glass technologies. Watch the full video series on YouTube or stay tuned here, on the Glass Age website, to learn more.